Hi, i found some problem into Gemstone relative to SIXX support for manage ScaledDecimal instances. I do some test into Pharo and i found error when i read the sixx declaration relative to ScaledDecimal : <sixx.object sixx.id="0" sixx.type="ScaledDecimal" >123.456s3</sixx.object> For solve this error i define the ScaledDecimal : readSixxContentStringFrom: aStream | numerator scale | numerator := aStream upTo: $s . scale := aStream upToEnd. ^ self newFromNumber: numerator asNumber scale: scale asNumber Now my doubt is relative to string size and performance. A) If i write <sixx.object sixx.id="0" sixx.type="ScaledDecimal" >123.456s3</sixx.object> i have small string in sixx declartion but when create a ScaledDecimal from sixx the system execute the: newFromNumber: aNumber scale: anInteger | aFraction | aFraction := aNumber asFraction. ^aFraction isFraction ifTrue: [self new setNumerator: aFraction numerator denominator: aFraction denominator scale: anInteger] ifFalse: [self new setNumerator: aFraction denominator: 1 scale: anInteger] What is the performance relative to : aFraction := aFloat asFraction. ???? B) The alternative is to write a sixx declaration with: <sixx.object sixx.id="0" sixx.type="ScaledDecimal" >(8687443681197687/70368744177664s3)</sixx.object> in this case the sixx string is big but the ScaledDecimal instance creation is direct: readSixxContentStringFromA: aStream " with numerator and denominator " | numerator denominator scale | aStream next. "skip $(" numerator := aStream upTo: $/ . denominator := aStream upTo: $s. scale := aStream upTo: $). ^ self new setNumerator: numerator asNumber denominator: denominator asNumber scale: scale asNumber Any pointers would be greatly appreciated ! Thanks, Dario